Children Missing Education

Every child is entitled to an education.

Regardless of circumstances, everyone deserves an efficient, full-time education suitable to their:

• age
• ability
• aptitude
• special educational needs

Children Missing Education are at significant risk of:

• underachieving
• being victims of harm
• exploitation or radicalisation
• becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training) later in life

Communication between parents, schools and local authorities is critical to reduce these risks.

Councils have a duty to confirm the identities of children in their area who are CME. Then help them to access appropriate provisions. This is under section 436A of the Education Act 1996.

Our CME Officer:

• offers advice and support with the availability of school places
• offers support with applying and securing school places for children new to Wolverhampton
• works within a legal framework to safeguard a child’s right to education

For further information, you can contact our CME officer via email.

A child must be absent from school for 10 consecutive days before the school can make a CME referral. During these 10 days, the school should carry out an investigation to locate the child. The local authority will have a further 10 days to investigate the CME enquiry.

CME does not apply to children who are registered at a school but who aren't attending regularly

CME referrals must include the following documents:

• A completed CME referral form
• An attendance registration certificate
• Any other appropriate documentation

The CME Team will only accept CME referrals via the link below from September 2022.

Make a CME referral

Make a referral if you have reason to believe a child is in immediate danger or at risk of harm. Contact:

• Wolverhampton MASH
• The Police (if appropriate)

You can email our secure email at wscb@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Call 01902 555392
Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5pm
Friday 8.30am - 4.30pm.

Out of hours

Our out of hours team handle calls that cannot wait until the next working day.

Call 01902 552999

Schools should not remove a child from the register until the CME team confirms they have either:

• finished their enquiries and can't find out where the child is
• found the child but they aren't within reasonable travelling distance of their registered school.

The CME team will send this confirmation in writing.

Then the school can remove the child from the register, if:

• the council and school have made all joint reasonable enquiries
• there is no new information to help find the child

The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 sets clear grounds for removing a pupil from the register.